Egbert monday



(No Model.)

R. MONDAY.

BUCKLE.

No. 495,899. w Patented Apr. 18, 1898.

Tua Norms Firms co, Puma-urna. vAsmNGToN. n c.

UNiTnn STATES PATENT Ormea..-

ROBERT MONDAY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EPPS Gr. KNIGHT AND WILLIAM J. CAVEN, OF SAME PLACE.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,899, dated April 18, 1893.

Application tiled February 17, 1893. Serial No.462,757. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

v Be it known that I, ROBERT MONDAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas,

in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and.. useful Buckle, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckles, and has for its object to provide a device of the character set forth.\vherein a closed frame or box Io is employed that is formed with a smooth eX- terior surface to avoid contact with and injury to the animals on which it is used, and prevent the reins from contacting therewith, and dispensing with the use of a guard there- I5 over; and at the same time producing a secure fastening that is applied to straps without the necessity ofthe employment of stitches or other modes of fastening.

With these ends in view, the invention conzo sists of the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a strap, showing the improved buckle applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line .vc-w, Fig. 1, and the movement of the buckle and position of the strap relatively to the change in the parts being illustrated in dotted lines.

3o Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the buckle detached and shown open.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the casing or frame of the buckle, which is formed with a flat closed bottom or back plate with integral side-flanges of such a depth or width to correspond to the thick- 4o ness of the strap with which the buckle is adapted to be used, and also to provide means for properly supporting the remaining portion of the buckle in relative position. At one end of the top portion of each of the sideanges is formed a lug 2, and these lugs are connected by a cross-bar 3, of cylindrical form and forming a pivot, as will be presently explained. Below the said lugs and the crossbar, and extending from one side-Bange to 5o another, is a cross-plate 4, that is located be- `constitutes a complete box in which all the locking parts are located and not exteriorly exposed, and thereby avoids the formation of contacting projections. The rear portion of the said tongue is formed with an elongated `flat loop 6, which is mounted on the cross-bar 3, and has sliding movement thereover, the said cross-bar, as previously referred to, forming a pivot for this portion of the tongue, 7o whereby the same may be opened or closed for the purpose of mounting the strap in connection with the buckle or detaching the same therefrom. The width of the loop 6, from thefront to the rear thereof, is greater than the distance between the cross-bar 3 and the crossplate 4, when the said loop 6 is so positioned that the front portion thereof still engages the said cross-bar 3, and thereby the tongue cannot be raised if accidentally loosened, 8o until the loop is drawn forward and the tongue consequently moved therewith out of the frame and the rear thereof occupies the said cross-bar, when it will be seen that the said tongue may be readily raised by reason of the fact that the distance between that portion of the loop 6 that engages the cross-bar is less than the distance between the said cross-bar and the said cross-plate.

Depending from the inner side of the tongue 9o 5, is a post 7, that aligns, when closed, with a similar post 8, extending outwardly or upwardly from the bottom plate of the frame. These two posts 7 and 3 engage the holes of the strap to which the buckle is applied and hold the said strap in proper adjusted position, and any slight longitudinal movement of the strap that would tend to accidentally open the tongue is obviated by the tension on the loop of the strap, that will tend to more roo i i /I thoroughly lock the" tongue closed by reason of the fact that the strap is pulling on the said tongue through the post 7 thereof. This operation of sustaining the tongue in locked position, it will be observed, is automatic, and in loosening the buckle from the strap, when such operation is desired, the end of the strap is drawn backward pulling the tongue therewith, until the latter has reached such a distance that the loop 6 may be readily turned on the cross-bar 3, when the parts of the strap may be readily disconnected from the posts 7 and 8 ,and longitudinally slid outwardly from the frame.

At the end of the side-llanges opposite to that at which the cross-bar 3 and cross-plate 4 are located, the inner opposing surfaces of the outer portions of the same are formed with small grooves 9, arranged to receive small ilanges l0, formed on the opposite edges of the free end of the tongue, andserve to lock the tongue in connection with the said sidef'langes, to prevent said tongue from being forced outwardly or upwardly when not desired, and avoid disconnection of the strap and also prevent bending or injury to the parts of the buckle entire. `At the portion of the tongue where the said flanges 10 are formed the metal is cut away to facilitate the formation of said lianges that may be at tained either by pressure, or otherwise, as found desirable.

The buckle as herein set forth is simple and effective in its construction and operation, strong and durable, easily and readily applied, and comparatively inexpensive in manufacture.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a buckle, the combination of a closed frame having side-flanges and a cross-plate and cross-bar at one end thereof, and a post at the opposite end of the same, the said crossbar being superposed above or standing outside of the said cross-plate, and a tongue having an elongated flat loop slidingly and pivotally engaging thev said cross-bar, and having a post at the opposite end thereof that is adapted to align with the post aforesaid, substantially as described.

2. In a buckle, the combination of a closed frame having side-iianges between which a cross-bar is located at one end, and having the opposite ends at the inner opposing sides thereof formed with grooves near the outer edges of the same, and a tongue having an elongated loop at one end that is movably mounted on the said cross-bar, and formed with flanges at the opposite end on the edges thereof that are adapted to engage said grooves to lock the tongue closed, said tongue entirely covering the outer portion of the said frame, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT MONDAY.

Witnesses:

RoB'r. E. L. KNIGHT, E. W. TABER. 

